So, for many college students out there, like myself, the fall semester is finally over. HOOPLAH!
But the school year is only half way through. -_- One of the most expensive things about college is the books. Even when you buy them used, they can easily cost around $50 -$100 and beyond. This is simply ridiculous. I remember my first year, first semester, I spent about $500 on books alone and they were USED. Tuition is bad enough and that depends on whether your in-state or out-of-state. So I decided to look into some ways to make my out-of-pocket expense a little cheaper. Here is a list of tips I found that were useful to me:
1)
Book Waiver: If you are getting any financial aid for tuition, ask about a book waiver. This could be in a form of a check or credit on your student account that can be used towards the cost of books. My school had this option available. It would be money taken from my financial aid refund and could only be used in a specific bookstore. From my experience, there are some pros and cons to the book waiver. The biggest pro is that money would be available to me automatically. All I had to do was go to the specified bookstore and checkout using my school I.D. My problem was that my books were too darn expensive in that bookstore and I knew I could find them cheaper online. The biggest con of the book waiver was that I could not use it on online markets outside of the specified bookstore and its online store. So, I ended up not using my book waiver at all. Financially, that was the best option for me, because I bought all my books online for much cheaper and later received my financial aid refund, so everything balanced out. However, for many students, buying books straight from the school store is a huge time/stress saver. Keep in mind that the book waiver depends on your school, and to learn more about it contact your school's financial aid office.
2)
Shop Online: The online markets are probably my favorite place to buy books for school. With all the coupon codes, promotions, and free shipping options, you can easily get your books for a lot cheaper than in traditional bookstores. The main issue is that there is a vast amount of places to search and its a huge time consumer. My solution:
Bigwords.com This site is a serious life saver! All you have to do is plug in the isbn, title or author of the book your looking for. The site will ask you if your looking to buy/rent or sell a copy. This is great if you have a long list of books because you can add them all at once and the site will do all the work for you. The books will be put into a "backpack" and then the website will find the cheapest possible price (or combination price) within hundreds (maybe more) of online book retailers. This includes but is not limited to, Amazon, half.com, barnesandnoble.com, and more. Also,
Bigwords.com has a wonderful filter option, where you can control the condition, digital copies, rentals, and even international editions. My favorite feature on this site is that it finds ways for me to score free shipping or a discount of some kind. I've been using this site for a while now, and many times a coupon code will appear beneath the book price. If not, they show you the standard shipping amount anyway. This is great stuff when you are on a budget. I wish I had discovered this website sooner, it made my life a lot easier!
*ALSO, right now www.bigwords.com is having a sweepstakes to win an iPad Mini! Click to enter:
http://blazonapp.com/r/2031-1DgGt7tP90
3)
Rent Don't Buy: Renting my books is an option I considered for the first time this year. I always bought my books thinking I would just sell them to someone else. But, that means I have to keep the book in worthy condition so someone will take it off my hands. Easier said than done. So I thought to give renting a try. So far its been a good experience. I started with
Bigwords.com to find the books I needed, and chose the site that had the cheapest renting option. In fact, all of my books were cheaper rented than bought. Making me one happy camper. :) I put the corresponding orders in and received my books within three weeks. Each book was from a different rental site, but they were all in decent condition with clear instructions included on the return process. My biggest fear was that I would forget to return the book on time, because it has to be mailed back to the company. But I was relived to find that when the time came close for returns, the companies began to send me e-mail remainders. * Happy Dance * No late fees for me. Since my semester is over, i'm going to ship back all my books (for free!) this week. Each company allows you to make an account on the corresponding website where the book was purchased. There, you can track the book, extend the rent time, print a return label, or even buy the copy if you end up needing it longer. Good stuff. Just follow the instructions for returns clearly and rentals can be somewhat of a great alternative to buying books. They are there when you need them, and you just send 'em back when your done. I spent about $200 for this past semester on books. From my usual $500, I saved a huge amount, and that's mainly due to renting my books.
*Rental companies I can vouch for:
collegebookrenter.com, TextbooksRus.com, chegg.com
4)
Buy From Former Students: If your the kind of person that is hesitant about buying books online because your afraid they wont arrive on time or you just waited till the last minute to get them, you have two other options. First, you could just spend the crazy amount of money and get them from the school store right away. Or, you could find someone on campus who might be selling the copy your looking for, for less. Try to look at bulletin boards around campus to see if anyone has put up a 'for sale' sign on books. They usually include some kind of contact information as well. Also, use social sites like Facebook and find a page/group that may be dedicated to buying and selling books within the student community at your school. My school has that set up, and all I have to do is ask if someone is selling what I want. Usually someone comments on my post within a day or two. Most of the time I am able to lower the price of the book just by asking. This is also a great opportunity to ask a student who has used the book and or taken the class about the subject matter. You can discuss prices, where to meet to buy the book, and learn more about the class and the instructor too. Also ask for some study tips particular to that class, for example, ask about study guides or what chapters in the book were most helpful, etc. I've used this option a few times and have got to meet some interesting people along the way.
5)
Borrow/Library: Now this option can be great but can also be a disappointment. Either way, it doesn't hurt to look into the school library and local library catalog Sometimes you might hit the jackpot! I try to work with this option if all else fails. As a college student, you have lots of things going on at the same time, and library books are usually due faster than rented books. Therefore, I try my best to make sure I keep track of all my books. Even then, constantly getting the book renewed is a hassle. So, I use the library more for literature books, or study guides, if I can find them. As for the giant textbooks, I try not rely on the library for them. However, the idea of borrowing books is still fantastic. Ask friends or family members who might have taken that class/course, if they still have the book laying around. If they don't need it, your golden! Just remember to check the edition, every few years the books are updated and newer editions are required for the course. Other than that, this is a fairly decent option.
6)
Sell Them When Your Done: Lastly, don't forget to sell your books if you have any left over that you don't need anymore. If they are still in great condition, try selling them on the Amazon book marketplace. At the start of the new semester, you might sell your book right away. Or consider selling it to a fellow student. Put up a sign on a board in campus about your book(s). Or even mention it on a post on your school's Facebook page for buying/selling books (if you have one). Or even rent it out! If your not using it for the semester anyway, and you know someone who needs it, just set a decent price on the book, get paid and lend it. This is a good option if you think that somewhere along the way, you might need the book in the future. So go ahead and rent it out, and gather some cash, instead of dust on the book which would have sat on your shelf anyway.
: D I hope this list helps anyone who reads it. These are completely my opinions and words from my experiences. I am not a financial adviser or affiliated with any of the companies or websites mentioned. If you still have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. To all the students out there, enjoy your winter break and have a safe holiday. When the next semester begins, I hope you have found a few ideas here on how to save a little dough. Good luck :)
-HiRA
